Strikezone

WATERBURY -- The Holy Cross High softball team has played well and experienced enough success this season for the Crusaders to feel really good about themselves. Until Monday, however, something big was definitely missing.

"We have been playing really well this season, but we haven't really been beating the teams that are ahead of us (in the standings)," pitcher Iliana Rivera said. "We just really wanted that one for that reason."

They finally got what they wanted with a 4-3 victory over Naugatuck in 10 innings. Not only did they win, but they did so in dramatic style, rallying from a deficit three times.

Ultimately, catcher Liz Lombardo's sacrifice fly scored Casey DiZinno with the winning run in the 10th. DiZinno had tripled with one out in the 10th.

"I figured I would end up at third, because I hit it pretty far and i knew where the fielders were playing so I just put my head down and ran," DiZinno said. "I definitely had confidence in my teammates (driving me in), and I knew we could pull it off."

DiZinno, who also had a single and another run scored in the game, had popped up to shortstop in the bottom of the seventh with two runners on base so she was looking for redemption. She said it was just a matter of staying calm and playing with confidence.

That's the approach this team has to take going forward to make the most of its talent.

"I think we did need this for confidence," DiZinno said. "It definitely boosted our spirit, and now we know we can play with good teams and just keep going. Iliana pitched great today and we played tough defense and when we needed the bats, they came around."

Holy Cross improved to 11-5 with the win, with all five losses coming to the four teams in the NVL with better records in Naugatuck, Torrington (twice), Seymour and Woodland.

Beating Naugy was a big step for this team.

"It was a huge game," Lombardo said. "No. 1, we lost to them the second game of the season. and it was a divisional game. It wasn't all or nothing, but it was a big win for us. And it was an intense game. I just felt like we never gave up. And I felt it at the beginning of the game."

Lombardo not only drove in the winning run, but she scored to tie the game in the eighth after Naugatuck had talent a 3-2 lead in extra innings on Gretch Hale's RBI triple scoring pinch runner Sandra Dinis. Jenna Miller had doubled for the Greyhounds (11-5).

Lombardo singled to center and then came all the way around to score when the ball got under the glove of the outfielder.

"I was scoring no matter what," Lombardo said. "It wasn't that close, but if she threw it quicker I would have slid in or something. I was going home. There was no way to stop me... It was big, because we lost to them last year twice and then this year once so finally beating them it feels great. They are a great team, too."

Holy Cross coach Scooter Zappone said the fact that Naugy is such a quality team made Monday's win all that more important for the Crusaders.

"Naugatuck has a dangerous lineup," Zappone said. "They have some people who hit the ball over there today. Any time Gillian Fortier comes up you have to watch her, because it can be gone. The catcher (Shannon Searles) can hit a shot. (Sydney) Cotto can hit the ball as can (Sarah) chandler. They all can hit the ball. The one that killed us was the left fielder (Gretchen Hale) when she slapped one over my left fielder's head. So it is a dangerous lineup."

He went out to the mound in the ninth inning with a runner on second and the Greyhounds' No. 3 hitter Sara Chandler up. His intention was to intentionally walk Chandler but Rivera asked him to let her pitch to Chandler.

"So what am I going to say?'" Zappone said. "Here is a kid battling her heart out. She got us there so, 'Go ahead. I'll do what you want to do.' Hey the kid is tell me she wants to do it, so let her do it. And she struck her out. That is a tough out, because that Chandler kid can hit the ball."

Zappone said he was really impressed with the way Rivera battled in scattering nine hits and striking out nine.

"You've got to give it to Riv (pitcher Iliana Rivera) because she reached back," Zappone said. "(In the 10th inning) I asked her, 'How much do you have left in that arm?' and she said, 'A lot.' But I said, 'We better end it here, because we have the top of our order up and stuff.' The kids came through. That was huge."

Rivera said she believes the Crusaders are putting it all together at the right time.

"I have a really good feeling," Rivera said. "I feel like we are really underestimated in the NVL and I know we have lost to the better teams, but I feel like we have a lot to prove, and we are rising up."

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future within NVL wrote on May 9, 2013 4:34 PM:

" HCHS and Torrington will have incoming freshman that can prove to be great additions to both teams. Next year can be a great year "

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